“Pete, this messaging technology has absolutely transformed my work!”
“OK, sure” I thought… he’s grateful because we were able to obtain the software for him at no charge. So I said, “that’s a pretty strong statement. What is so great about this? You’ve been doing online messaging around the world for a very long time.”
“It’s simple…and amazing,” came the reply. “With Groove, for the first time I know when the message gets to the other guy’s computer, and I know when they open it. I know who I am actually working with, rather than just sending messages out and not knowing what happens!”
Wow. Could the tiniest feature in Groove really make that big a difference?
Yes. And it’s not just found in Groove (a specialized collaboration software tool.)
What is this element? It’s something we recognized as a Spirit-Led Technology principle several years ago when we compared postal mail, email, audio teleconference, and video conference discussion products…
The question we asked was: how well can people interact using these various tools?
Interaction Technology Choices
Postal mail is the worst: when you send a letter, there’s no way to know if they open it, or even receive it, unless you talk about it later.
E-mail is almost as bad: while there are protocols that trigger a response for delivery or reading, the protocols don’t work very well and are often blocked. So again you don’t know what’s happening at the other end after you send an email.
Dedicated Tools like Groove are an improvement over normal email. Communication is secure, stamped with the date/time, and the sender always finds out when a message is delivered and opened. That’s what got our friend so excited.
Audio teleconferences are much better. If your partner walks away, you will know pretty quickly. Even better, you can hear emotion in their voice. Better still, you can sit quietly together in a phone call. That’ll never happen in email.
Video connections (webcam, etc) are better still. If someone at the other end steps away for a cup of coffee, or is just not paying attention… you can see it.
Of course, none of these are as good as sitting down together in the same room and taking time for an unhurried conversation. But hey, some of the above tools are pretty helpful, especially if the one you want to talk with is halfway across the country… or the world.
This is a good time to mention the new kid in town, a new technology for group connections. We at ICTA have been evaluating commercial Email Sending Providers (ESP’s) and have found some unique value to their offerings. Enough that we are putting scarce funds into using MailChimp to send our newsletters from now on. There are plenty of competitors; perhaps the most well known are Constant Contact and iContact.
To us, the most important element of the new tools is embodied by an optional MailChimp feature: their Advanced (AIM) Reports. Taking a page from spammers but putting the tools to wonderful use, these reports tell us exactly who receives our emails, when they opening the message, and whether they click on any of the links.
Simply put, now we can use email and know who is really a partner — who is receiving, reading and responding to our messages.
It’s easier and cheaper than producing a paper mail campaign, and more convenient than connecting on a worldwide teleconference.
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Non-Tech Details
What’s it cost? Pennies per message. If your list is smaller than 100, it’s free. Smaller than 500, it’s only US$10 a month and US$8.50 with the 15% non-profit discount, for unlimited messages.
Is it easy? It will take a bit of time to learn the tools they provide for crafting an informative and beautiful message. They do the hard part though: making your message look right in every email software and web browser.
Tech Notes
How do they do it? If you understand web marketing, it is the same idea applied to email. Every email is set up uniquely, and the pictures in the email are connected back to the service provider’s computers. So any time you open the email, they know. But this time, it’s not about spam or selling you something, it’s a no-hassle way to tell me, your friend, that you were interested enough to open the email I sent you!
MailChimp’s advanced report service is better than most because it provides complete details. I can see what happens for each person in my group, not just statistics on the group as a whole.
I don’t know if they did it because they wanted to replicate God’s design for good relationship… but we praise God for giving such inspiration all the same.
[edited 12/23 to include Groove in the analysis list]
Tags: Communication, Community, Email, Listening, Teleconference, Video
Yes, these great technologies should be used for Kingdom purposes.
Please write in more detail about which applications you recommend and how they are being used successfully.
Skype is great for free video and voice communication. Well, free for us in the US. In many countries Internet access is still billed by the minute. But it is still less expensive than an international phone call. Some of my friends even use Skype video conferencing from an Internet Cafe.
When emailing from Mail Chimp, perhaps you could include a notice that you are using graphics in the email to track if people are interested enough to open the message. Now I turn on graphics in my Yahoo Email when I get a message from you, so that Mail Chimp will know that I opened it.
-Joseph
We’ll add much more about specific technologies over time. We want to maintain a balance of tech and other kinds of material.
We’re starting slow, partly to give time to shake out niggly bugs in this blog system. It will build up over time!
I use a similar product to your MailChimp and love the reliability of delivery. That was my main motivation in going to this type of technology. The reporting is great, as you say. But it’s a little scary. I can see who opens what, who clicks on what, etc. I’m sure the average recipient doesn’t understand how the software tracks their actions. I could tell them, but that would scare people away. Some are savvy enough to not enable the pictures so they don’t get tracked–but not many. For now, I’ve chosen to just not open the reports that tell me specifics about a given person. Not a final solution, just a personal resolution to not do something simply because I could. For example, I could look up the names of everyone who clicks on the “Donate Now” button, and follow up with them. Is that ethical? I suppose it would be if I told them why I was contacting them. I guess I’d rather not have the information since the person that clicked that button probably had no idea I would know about it. Reactions?
If we’re open about what is going on, we actually appreciate the ability to (somewhat) know who is reading the message, etc.
If you and I are having a face to face conversation, or I’m sitting in your office… I know whether you are paying attention or not. In an atmosphere of grace and mutual respect, these new tools enable us to know (within limits) who we are connecting with, and who may not be connecting at all. That can be a Good Thing.
Hmmm… interesting… forgot about the tracking of images embedded into email messages and have just gone and turned it off. Now trying to figure out what other methods people might employ to track delivery and then we’ll add in ‘turn off tracking’ option filter in out MTA for our email users.
In the right area knowing who/when your email is read is good… in the wrong its bad. So I’ll live without the good in order not to have the bad! Perhaps you can help us defeat this problem that we would see as invasive.
In snail mail ‘recorded delivery’ is the exception rather than the rule and you can look at the envelope to decide IF you want to receive it or not. With email this happens under the hood and it concerns me a lot.